Batting

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—In the last home date of the season, the 12th-ranked Birmingham-Southern baseball team swept Huntingdon, 4-1 and 15-1, at Striplin Field. The Panthers end the year at 30-9, while the Hawks fall to 20-15.

It was Senior Day for BSC's 16 graduating seniors, who were honored during pregame festivities. The 16 seniors are the first graduating class since the program moved to Division III in 2006 and did not field a team in 2007.

In game one, the Hawks took an early 1-0 lead, scoring in the top of the first, but the Panthers tied it up in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly-out by senior Bryan Higginbotham.

The score stayed tied until the bottom of the eighth, when a two-run double by senior Brandon Ricco gave BSC the lead. Higginbotham also drove in an RBI single, putting the Panthers up 4-1. Huntingdon was unable to score in the top of the ninth, giving BSC the win.

BSC had eight hits to Huntingdon's seven, led by Ricco, who went 2-of-4 at the plate. Senior Clay Malcolm started on the mound and threw 7.1 innings and gave up seven hits with one earned run and two strikeouts. Senior Clay Jones (3-0) came in for the last 1.2 innings and got the win, allowing no hits and no runs with four strikeouts.

In the second game, BSC exploded for 15 runs, scoring six in the bottom of the second, five in the third, and four in the sixth. The Hawks scored their lone run in the top of the fourth.

The Panthers played 27 total players in the game and collected 15 hits, led by junior Jon Walker, who went 3-of-3. Higginbotham also recorded a home run. Senior Michael McCalib (3-1) started on the mound and threw two innings, giving up two hits with one strikeout. Seven more pitchers came in after that: seniors Brooks Webb, Anthony Bianchi, Drew Crofton, Trey Brown, Cole Bahakel, Alex Goodsell, and Richard Vance.